The meeting rooms and lobbies of the Ritz-Carlton resort in Orlando, will be abuzz this week during the NFL's annual meeting. Talk will range from the ominous divide between owners and the NFLPA on a new collective bargaining agreement to another hot topic — the proposal for a new overtime format that will draw spirited debate.

USA TODAY previews some of the biggest topics on the NFL agenda that will be addressed during the meetings:

The CBA

• Synopsis: The league has entered the final year of its collective bargaining agreement with the players union — and it doesn't appear that the sides are close to striking a new deal soon.

• Analysis: With rules for an uncapped year triggered, the owners have gained leverage that was lost with the last CBA extension. It is reflected in a weakened free agency market and has provided teams the mechanism to trim costs and debt — because there's no salary cap or salary floor.

That means the real deadline is next spring, when the current deal actually expires. By that time, the Supreme Court will likely have ruled on the American Needle case that will provide one of the sides with a key legal tool that might be used if there's an impasse in talks and they wind up in court again.

While there's nothing to vote on at these meetings, there will be plenty of discussion as owners undoubtedly will try to strengthen their resolve as a united entity — which isn't so easy when considering the give-and-take on supplemental revenue sharing. There's no question they're united in wanting to pay a smaller share of revenues to players, as the owners build their case on the stadium cost construction and other progressive vehicles to grow a pie represented by nearly $9 billion in revenues in 2009.

Postseason overtime change

• Synposis: Owners will consider a rule change proposed by the competition committee that would try to legislate more fairness and balance by affording the chance for both teams to have at least one possession in overtime. Under the proposal, the team that loses the coin toss would get a possession unless a touchdown is scored — offensive or defensive — on the first possession. The sudden death format would resume thereafter.

• Analysis: New York Giants co-owner John Mara, a member of the competition committee, said it's time to reform an out-dated sudden death system affording too big an advantage for the coin-toss winner. Since 1994, when kickoffs were moved from the 35-yard line to the 30-yard line, the team winning the coin toss has won 59.8% of the time. Before that, beginning in 1974 when sudden-death overtime began until 1993, the split between the team winning the toss and losing was 50-50.

"The statistics have gotten to the point where it's time to consider making a change," Mara told USA TODAY on Friday. "I'm very uncomfortable with the fact that 60% of the time the coin-toss winner ends up winning a (OT) game. Particularly now with the increased accuracy of field-goal kickers, it sets up an unfair advantage to the team winning the toss.

"I'd hate to see a postseason game or, God forbid, a Super Bowl decided after the first possession."

Mara cited data that in recent years show kickers converting 80-82% of field goals.

"Even the percentage from 50 yards is fairly high," he said. "Now you have a kickoff, a decent return, one or two plays, and a long field goal to win a (OT) game. To me, that's not a fair result, particularly in the postseason when there's so much at stake."

Teams winning on the first possession rose from 25.4 to 34.4% since the league moved kickoffs back in 1994. Teams winning on the first possession by field goal has improved over that span from 17.9% of the time to 26.2%.

"You've now created an advantage, almost a 20% advantage, for the team winning the toss," competition co-chairman Rich McKay said. "Field goal accuracy has become exceptional. And accordingly, what you now have is if you get a good return, you get one pass, either by pass interference or by completed pass, and a 52-yard field goal, the game is over."

The competition committee wants to eliminate "the randomness of the coin flip" from deciding games, McKay said.

Impetus for reform stems from the NFC championship game when Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre did not have a chance to touch the ball in overtime. The New Orleans Saints won the coin toss and the game 31-28 on Garrett Hartley's 40-yard field goal.

Still, there will be the expected "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" sentiment among coaches, general managers and owners in what figures to be a spirited debate.

"Those on the other side, will tell you it works pretty well and there's an opportunity for less play. And that's an important product that's needed in overtime," McKay said. "That's one of the reasons we proposed it for postseason only."

Some argue that if the overtime modification is the right way to end postseason games, why not regular-season overtime games?

"I don't think it's going to pass because of the inconsistency of saying, 'It works in the playoffs. But not in the regular season,' " said Pat Kirwan, NFL.com and SIRIUS Radio analyst. "It's going to meet the biggest road block because there's people who don't want to change."

Concussions

• Synopsis: After instituting revised policies last season, the treatment of and other measures aimed to reduce head injuries remains a front-burner safety issue.

• Analysis: The NFL named Dr. Hunt Batjer of Northwestern University and Dr. Richard Ellenbogen from the University of Washington as new co-chairs of its pain, neck and spine medical committee last week. This revamped committee flows from a push by the union (which has formed its own committee on head injuries), which was concerned that the previous co-chairmen were not aggressive enough in embracing advances and new research.

Yet the league, also pressured by Congressional interest and attention cast on long-term effects felt by retirees, has undoubtedly stepped up efforts on several levels — including the rulebook. That owners will vote on a proposal from the competition committee to expand the definition of the "defenseless" player is another example of the focus on safety and desire to reduce head injuries.

There's still no consensus on whether to act on suggestions from John Madden's coaches committee, which has discussed the prospect of reducing the number of days that players are required to participate in offseason practices, in addition to limiting contact in regular-season practices, which could cut the risk of suffering head injuries.

A Super Bowl in New York?

• Synopsis: Commissioner Roger Goodell doesn't have a vote, but in February he spoke in favor of a 2014 New York-New Jersey Super Bowl at the new $1.7 billion Meadowlands Stadium. If approved by 24 of 32 owners over bids by Miami and Tampa in late May, the New York/New Jersey proposal would become the first-ever cold-weather Super Bowl played outdoors. The 82,500-seat stadium does not have a retractable roof.

• Analysis: Some wondered if New York Jets owner Woody Johnson jeopardized the 2014 Super Bowl bid by lashing out at Goodell for not inviting team representatives to a private coin-flip to decide whether the Jets or Giants would host the stadium's regular-season unveiling. The Giants won the toss and will open the new stadium Sept. 12, while the Jets will host a Monday night game Sept. 13.

"An NFL coin toss has a few fundamental issues that are missing here, most notably the presence of the teams involved," Johnson said in a statement.

But Mara downplayed the prospect that Johnson's remarks would cool owners' support for a New York Super Bowl.

"I think most of the owners are going to end up voting for what they think is in the best interest of the league," Mara said. "And we think we'll be able to convince them that having the Super Bowl in the New York/New Jersey area is in the best interest of the league."

The league waived its 50-degree restriction for awarding a Super Bowl to a non-dome stadium.

"The idea of playing in the elements is central to the way the game of football is played," Goodell said in February.. "I think being able to do that and celebrate the game of football in the No. 1 market could have tremendous benefits to the league going forward."

The vote will be conducted at the May 24-26 league meetings in Dallas, but Mara will be lobbying owners in Orlando to grow support for the initiative.

"Some of the most memorable games in NFL history have been played in cold weather or even inclement weather so why not do it with the biggest game there is?" Mara said, citing the Giants' 23-20 overtime win against the Packers at frigid Lambeau Field in the 2007 NFL title game.

"I just think it would be a great change for the league to consider. I'm not saying it's something that has to be done on a regular basis.

The concern is about a paralyzing blizzard such as the heavy snow storms that raged across the mid-Atlantic during Super Bowl week this past February.

Michael Schlacter, the chief meteorologist at Weather 2000 Inc., based in New York City, said weather in the first week of February is more likely to be in the 30s-40s with the potential for small increments of snow than to have heavy snow.

"You have a 50% chance of it being a typical mid-winter, brisk day, maybe a flurry in the air," Schlacter said. "You do have scenarios where there could unfortunately be a major snowstorm. But you could also have a scenario where it could soar into the 50s.

"The one good thing from a logistics standpoint: You have three major airports and several smaller airports, there's very few events that affects all the major metro airports and causes them to all to shut down at the same time. We do have a lot of transportation infrastructure.

"It's not like having a blizzard in Denver, and there's very few options."

Officiating and rules

• Synopsis: Besides the overtime policy for postseason, the most significant rule up for vote pertains to the "defenseless" player.

• Analysis: The competition committee is recommending that receivers are protected for an extra couple of steps after making a catch, but is also aiming to better protect others — including running backs in the trenches. Those who have grumbled that the league over-protects quarterbacks while ignoring other players might applaud this measure.

A running back whose forward progress is stopped might be ruled "defenseless," and the whistle will blow if a runner's helmet pops off. Such tweaks, as with the "horse collar" and "quarterback-in-grasp" rules, force players to adjust techniques for split-second decisions. It also forces coaches and officials to adjust.

"We've seen tape where people have literally caught the ball and had no opportunity to avoid and protect themselves in any way," McKay said. "It's that moment in time where we just think the receiver has not yet become a runner."

Also, officials will be overseen by Carl Johnson, who replaces the retiring Mike Pereira as director of officiating.

NFL draft format

• Synopsis: The league will celebrate the 75th annual NFL draft with a new three-day format April 22-24 with the first two nights staged in prime time — including Thursday night's first round — at New York City's Radio City Music Hall.

• Analysis: In conjunction with the league polling fans to vote for the 75 most valuable draft picks of all time, the top 10 will be invited to attend the league's 75th anniversary celebration of the draft, joining 17-20 players from the 2010 draft class who have been invited to attend the first two nights, including former Florida star Tim Tebow.

There's less certainty for the 76th annual draft, with the expiring CBA looming on the horizon.

Kirwan raised an interesting scenario when he suggested the 2011 NFL draft could become the tipping point for a potential lockout, if a new labor deal isn't struck by then.

"There's going to have to be some creative form of a lockout," Kirwan said. "What do I mean by that? At the end of the 2010 season, I wouldn't be surprised if that 2011 draft is held much, much earlier. Have the draft. Get the players secured that are on your teams because the draft is legal next year. Then, they (owners) will lock everybody out and tell them to go away for a while."

HGH testing

• Synopsis: The league made a proposal to the players union in January to test for human growth hormone (HGH), but the sides haven't agreed. Although there's nothing to vote on pertaining to this at the meetings, the league might provide an update.

• Analysis: There's been much debate about the reliability of HGH tests, but the league contends that testing has advanced to the point that it can be incorporated. For years, the NFL and its players union have funded research to develop a test, but the union has insisted on a urine test rather than a blood test similar to what Olympic athletes have been subjected to since 2004.

The sides can revise the drug policy without a new labor deal. Yet there's an X-factor that might threaten the authority of any such plan: the StarCaps case that is currently being battled in a Minnesota courtroom.

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